How can a parrot talk? What is the biological process they have that is responsible for this?
In: Biology
Parrots (and Corvids) are the “big brain” birds of the avian world and a part of that is tricking other animals by imitating various sounds to manipulate their behaviors – which is exactly what they’re doing with us when they “talk”.
Parrots have a unique ability to mimic sounds, including human speech, thanks to their specialized vocal anatomy. They possess a syrinx, which is a vocal organ located at the base of their trachea where it splits into the bronchial tubes. This syrinx allows parrots to produce a wide range of sounds by controlling the airflow and vibrating the surrounding muscles. Additionally, parrots have a highly developed brain, particularly in the areas associated with vocal learning and production, which enables them to imitate and learn new sounds. This combination of vocal anatomy and brain structure gives parrots the remarkable ability to talk and mimic sounds from their environment.
Birds have an organ called a syrinx just above their lungs that they use to modulate the vibrations in their screeching. Very social birds like parrots have very precise syrinxes that can mimic a vast array of sounds.
They’ve evolved this because they’re extremely gregarious birds that like to spend all day gossiping about eachother around the banana tree. This requires a large language processing center in their brains and the capacity to memorize and replicate numerous sounds. They “name” eachother in nature and have unique chirps for each individual in their social circle.
Parrots have a syrinx – the equivalent of vocal cords in humans.
They manipulate the syrinx’s shape and tightness while breathing to produce sound, just like a human.
However, while a human uses their tongue position in the mouth, larynx, and lips to create sound, Parrots can only manipulate the sound with the back of their tongue and throat.
I don’t actually know the answer to this. However, they don’t actually talk, they mimic. I have two parts and they are essentially recorders as they sound identical to the TV shows, radio commercials, and voices that they mimic all day. It doesn’t sound like a *parrot talking* (“caaw! Polly wanna cracker”). Rather it sounds like a recording of whatever they are mimicking. Sometimes I think I left the TV on or that my wife is calling me from the other room when it’s actually just one of the birds mimicking that thing.
Birds do not have vocal chords and are unable to physiologically shape sound in the same way humans do. Birds have an organ called a [syrinx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrinx_(bird_anatomy)) (which humans do not have). In some species, the syrinx can be used to shape sounds in a way that is similar to speech from vocal chords of a human.
Every animal that has the ability to mimic sound also dances. There is a theory that this is because the same networks in the brain that allow for controlled rhythmic movement of muscle needed to shape sound also allow for controlled rhythmic movement of the body, or, dancing.
[removed]
Latest Answers